Intelligent communications, command and control system for a land-based vehicle

Abstract

Method and communication system for a railroad train having at least one locomotive for automatically adjusting the communication system to provide effective communication of command data to control operation of the locomotive are provided. The system includes a transceiver on the locomotive. The system further includes at least one transceiver remote from the locomotive. A database may be provided for storing data relative to a plurality of communication schemes available to the communication system. A first monitor may be used for sensing a parameter indicative of the quality of the communications between the transceivers when the transceivers are operating under a first one of the available communication schemes and generating data indicative of communications quality. A processor in communication-with the monitor and the database may be configured to select a second communication scheme when the quality of the communications provided by the first communication scheme is not satisfactory to ensure that the command data will be reliably communicated with respect to the locomotive.

1 - 61 . (canceled)  
   
   
       62 . A computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium having computer-readable code therein for automatically adjusting a train communication system to provide effective communication of command data for control of the operation of a train, the communication system comprising a transceiver on a locomotive and at least one transceiver remote from the locomotive, the computer-readable code comprising: 
 a software code module for directing command data via the communication system;    a software code module comprising data indicative of a plurality of communication schemes available to the communication system;    a software code module responsive to a parameter indicative of the quality of the communications sent via the communications system;    a software code module for generating data indicative of communications quality; and    a software code module for selecting a second communication scheme when the quality of the communications provided by the first communication scheme is not satisfactory to ensure that the command data will be reliably communicated with respect to the locomotive.    
   
   
       63 . The computer program product of  claim 62  further comprising a software code module including data indicative of predetermined choices for selecting each available communications scheme.  
   
   
       64 . The computer program product of  claim 62  wherein the software code module for selecting the second communications scheme comprises software code for evaluating the communications quality of the first communication scheme.  
   
   
       65 . The computer program product of  claim 62  wherein the software code module for selecting the second communications scheme comprises software code for evaluating the communications quality of the first communications scheme relative to the communications quality of the second communications scheme.  
   
   
       66 . The computer program product of  claim 62  wherein the software code module for selecting the second communications scheme comprises code for evaluating the communications quality of the second communications scheme.  
   
   
       67 . The computer program product of  claim 62  further comprising a software code module for selecting another communications scheme likely to provide satisfactory communications quality when the second communications scheme is unable to provide satisfactory communication quality.  
   
   
       68 . The computer program product of  claim 62  further comprising a software code module comprising data indicative of a plurality of distinct communication protocols available to the communication system, and configured for selecting a first communication protocol from the plurality of distinct communication protocols based on the likelihood of the first protocol to provide satisfactory communication quality.  
   
   
       69 . The computer program product of  claim 68  further comprising a software code module for selecting a second communication protocol when the quality of the communications provided by the first communication protocol is not satisfactory.  
   
   
       70 . The computer program product of  claim 62  further comprising a software code module comprising data indicative data indicative of a plurality of distinct frequencies available to the communication system, and configured for selecting a first one of the available frequencies based on the likelihood of the first frequency to provide satisfactory communication quality.  
   
   
       71 . The computer program product of  claim 70  further comprising a software code module selecting a second one of the available frequencies when the quality of the communications provided by the first frequency is not satisfactory.  
   
   
       72 . The computer program product of  claim 62  further comprising a software code module comprising data indicative of multiple communication devices distributed throughout the train, and configured for selecting a first communication device from the multiple communication devices distributed throughout the train, wherein said selection is based on determining which respective communication device is likely to provide satisfactory communication quality.  
   
   
       73 . The computer program product of  claim 72  further comprising a software code module selecting a second one of the multiple communication devices when the quality of the communications provided by the first communication device is not satisfactory.  
   
   
       74 . The computer program product of  claim 62  further comprising a software code module comprising data indicative of a plurality of distinct message-repeating techniques, and configured for selecting a first one of the plurality of distinct message-repeating techniques based on the likelihood of the first message-repeating technique to ensure reception of the command data.  
   
   
       75 . The computer program product of  claim 74  further comprising a software code module for selecting a second one of the message-repeating techniques when the quality of the communications provided by the first message-repeating techniques is not satisfactory.  
   
   
       76 . The computer program product of  claim 62  further comprising a software code module comprising data indicative of a plurality of distinct message-reply techniques available to the transceivers, and configured for selecting a first one of the plurality of distinct message-reply techniques based on the likelihood of the first message-reply technique to ensure reception of the command data.  
   
   
       77 . The computer program product of  claim 76  further comprising a software code module for selecting a second one of the message-reply techniques when the quality of the communications provided by the first message-reply technique is not satisfactory.  
   
   
       78 . The computer program product of  claim 62  further comprising a software code module comprising data indicative of a plurality of distinct types of data communicable by the communication system, and configured for selecting a first type of data to be communicated by the transceivers, the first type of data being selected from the plurality of distinct types of data based on the likelihood of the first type of data in being satisfactorily communicated by the communication system.  
   
   
       79 . The computer program product of  claim 78  further comprising a software code module for selecting a second type of data when the quality of the communications obtained by the first type of data is not satisfactory.  
   
   
       80 . The computer program product of  claim 62  further comprising a software code module comprising data indicative of a plurality of distinct types of data sources available to the communication system, and configured for selecting a first one of the distinct types of data sources based on the likelihood of the first type of data source to obtain satisfactory communication quality by the communication system.  
   
   
       81 . The computer program product of  claim 62  further comprising a software code module comprising data indicative of a plurality of distinct types of data targets available to the communication system, and configured for selecting a first one of the distinct types of data targets based on the likelihood of the first type of data target to obtain satisfactory communication quality by the communication system.  
   
   
       82 . The computer program product of  claim 81  further comprising a software code module selecting a second type of data source when the quality of the communications obtained by the first type of data source is not satisfactory.  
   
   
       83 . The computer program product of  claim 62  further comprising a software code module for monitoring at least one environmental condition in the vicinity of the train, and configured for associating the communication schemes with environmental conditions of the train, said module being further configured for determining whether to change to a more appropriate communications scheme in view of the monitored environmental conditions.  
   
   
       84 . The computer program product of  claim 62  further comprising a software code module for monitoring at least one operational condition in the vicinity of the train, and configured for associating the communication schemes with operational conditions of the train, said module being further configured for determining whether to change to a more appropriate communications scheme in view of the monitored operational conditions.